The Last Thing
by peridotdream
Summary: The end may just be the very beginning of Hermione's life... CedricHermione


A/N: Anything you recognize isn't mine. Hope you like it )

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**The Last Thing**

The last thing Hermione saw before hitting the ground was the bright flash of green. She'd been turning to find Ginny. All she saw now was black.

She opened her eyes to a most familiar sight - Hogwarts. Except it was...different. It wasn't dark anymore, like it had been just a moment ago. It also wasn't cold anymore - it felt more like May than February. A soft breeze blew, instead of a cold, harsh wind and the sun was high in the sky, illuminating the lake nearby.

Hermione blinked and scrambled up from where she'd been laying by the Forbidden Forest. She began to run toward the Entrance Hall.

"Hey!" She heard someone behind her call. "Where are you going?" She whirled around and drew her wand on the person. She froze when she saw a tall boy, no more than seventeen, that she...knew somehow. She let her wand fall to her side as he continued.

"Might as well put it away," he shrugged. "Magic doesn't...work...here." He said awkwardly. He looked away from her as if he'd just said something wrong and shoved his hands in his pockets. Hermione stared confusedly at her wand then back at the boy before slowly putting her wand away. She took a deep breath as she registered just how wrong this scene was - the weather, the set, the company - something was off. As she thought about it she tried to remember _just_ what had happened when she'd gone into the battle, but she was missing something. She looked up at the boy for help, but he seemed to be focusing on anything but her.

"Erm...we could...go sit by the lake or something, if you need some time." He said uncomfortably. She looked at him, almost amused. He was so out of his element, whatever his element was. And yet there was something...so _familiar_ about him. And then, with one sickening memory...it all fell into place.

"Cedric." She whispered, horrified. The boy looked up, surprised.

"Yeah." He said quickly.

"But you're -"

"Yeah." He interrupted, trying to stop her from saying it.

"But I..." she trailed off. But she what? But she was _alive_, she had just been _fighting_...she was in the middle of finding the last Horcrux...

"Yeah...well...it's not exactly convenient for any of us." Cedric said with a small smile. Her heart broke when he said that.

"Oh, I didn't -" She began, but he cut her off.

"No, don't worry." He said quickly, shaking his head. "It's not a big deal. I was...just saying." He said, shrugging again.

"But...it was so _awful_...your poor father, and Cho..." Hermione felt so awkward. She'd never been at a loss for words, but somehow she just couldn't get out all she was thinking or feeling.

"Don't worry," he insisted with a light smile. "It's fine. Really."

"But..."

"Stop saying that," he chuckled, looking down at her. She struggled, trying to keep her emotions at bay, but a strong mix of confusion, sadness and hurt made her look away. Cedric took a step toward her and put out his hand to touch her arm, but she recoiled. She looked up at him, as if he were about to burn her. If he touched her, this would all be real, and...this wasn't real. This was a dream, one she would wake from...any moment now. Cedric just shoved his hands back in his pockets and looked down at the ground.

"Well, when you're ready." He said as nonchalantly as he could. With one last look, he left her there by the forest and walked a ways over to the lake's edge and sat down.

Hermione watched him with a growing anxiety - _this just wasn't possible_. Cedric Diggory had been dead for...for...for almost four years now. She watched him throw pebbles into the lake and she turned around in circles. She looked into the forest, then across the grounds towards Hogsmeade, then back up at the castle. She wanted to run away, but she didn't know where she would go. Something told her she wouldn't be finding anyone else anytime soon.

With a heavy heart and a full mind she trudged over to where Cedric was and stood a step behind him. She took a deep breath as she contemplated her next move. It was crucial she know everything...though it always was, wasn't it? As she thought about it all, she stared down at his back. She had so many questions, comments...answers for him, if he wanted them, she didn't even know where to begin.

"I don't know how," he commented suddenly. "So it wouldn't do to try and find out." He looked up over his shoulder at her and squinted in the bright sunlight. "But feel free to sit down." Hermione shifted uncomfortably and crossed her arms over her chest. She took a deep breath and mustered up all the energy she had.

"Where...where are we?" She asked quietly, fear and apprehension creeping into her voice. Cedric just shrugged.

"Don't really know." He said, almost wistfully. "I mean, Hogwarts, obviously, but...don't know. Heaven, I suppose. Or the functional equivalent of it." Every word was like a knife in Hermione's gut. Knowing something is true and hearing it out loud are two completely different things. She took a deep breath to steady herself before she tried again. He looked up at her again and gave her a sympathetic look. _Figures,_ she thought. _If anyone knows what it's like..._

"It's really not so bad," he said hopefully. She tried to look away and wiped at her eyes. "I mean, you can't really tell time or anything, but...it's not so bad. It's...it's Hogwarts." He shrugged with a bright smile on his face. "We had a great time there, yeah? Well, some more than others." He said, grinning up at her. She smiled sadly, memories flooding back from the best years of her life. Memories about her best friends, her schoolwork, her...extracurricular escapades around the castle and the whole wizarding world. Hanging out with The Boy Who Lived was never boring, that was for sure. ...was. She couldn't imagine never going back to the Ministry, never seeing the end of Voldemort's terrorizing reign, never seeing any of her friends live beyond the War...her friends moving on without her.

The piercing feeling in her gut subsided to a dull ache as she took a few deep breaths. Looking down at Cedric, Hermione decided once again to just...be a Gryffindor and face it. That's what she did every time she was about to do something she didn't want to - reminded herself of what she was, what she wanted to be.

She took a seat right next to Cedric, so close that their arms were touching. He glanced over at her as she closed her arms around her knees.

"I...I don't know how to...deal with this." She said slowly, looking anywhere but at him.

"Well, I suppose you never really _get used_ to it...not that that helps," he added as an afterthought. She looked over at him, amazed.

"Why are you here?" She asked, a little less tentatively. He looked at her sideways and laughed. She couldn't help but smile and roll her eyes. "I mean...I meant..."

"No, I know," Cedric said, waving her off with his hand. "It's just funny. And...I don't really know that, either. But someone was here when I got here, and...it helped. It's nice, not having to figure it all out on your own, don't you think?" Hermione smiled nervously.

"Well you haven't exactly explained anything yet..." She pointed out. He laughed again. She was glad he was feeling so...carefree about it all. Seeing him deal so well with everything actually was making it easier to put into perspective.

"Good point." He said, smiling down at her. "I guess I'm just here to make you more comfortable."

"Well...I suppose you're doing an all right job at that." She said with another deep breath and another small smile. Just smiling was making her feel better. Smiling wouldn't make it better, but...sometimes it just made it all easier to deal with. He looked over at and rolled his eyes.

"Right, that's why you won't talk to me." He mocked. She shifted in her seat.

"It's just a bit..." Hermione searched for the word, but...nothing was good enough. Different? Overwhelming? Hard? She was _dead_ for Merlin's sake, not taking the N.E.W.T.s.

"Don't worry, it's really not so bad." He said comfortingly.

"So..how long...have you been here? I mean...at Hogwarts." She forced out.

"Ummm, you know I don't really know. Ever since I got here, it's been Hogwarts. So...since that night." He shrugged. Hermione turned her head, trying to fathom everything that was being thrown at her.

"So I suppose we're here...for all eternity?" She asked doubtfully. Cedric let out a mirthful laugh.

"No, no. Merlin, can you imagine spending all eternity at school? With just me for company?" He chuckled again. "No, there are other...steps or something." Hermione's heart sank. She had kind of been hoping that the surprises were over. Cedric must've seen her slump, because he put his arm around her and pulled her closer. "Don't _worry_. I mean, sure, we're not mortal anymore, but...it's not _bad._ It's just different."

"It's quite frightening," Hermione muttered at the grass. Cedric rubbed her arm.

"To fear death is to misunderstand life." He said softly. She looked up at him slowly and he smiled. "You don't always have to _know,_ Hermione. The pieces aren't always going to fit together, like a puzzle. Good won't ever triumph over evil because who really wants that? All we want is peace. And peace is balance."

"Well _that's_ comforting." She said, almost offended. "I don't know about you, but I'd really like good to triumph over evil." Cedric inclined his head, as if to take her point.

"Yes, well, that's not exactly what I meant." Hermione just "hmph"ed. He smiled down at her. "What I mean is..." Cedric sighed and looked up at the sky. "You were better at this than I am!" He yelled, shaking his head. Hermione looked at him, almost scared.

"Who was?"

"My neighbor from down the street where I grew up. Mrs. MCullough. Quite a nice lady, really. Always made me cookies." He said nonchalantly.

"And she was...here?"

"Yeah, I think 'here' is wherever you want it to be. Hogwarts is where I spent almost half my life, and you know...despite the Triwizard Tournament, I really did have great fun." He said wistfully.

"How can you be so happy? It's _over_ now." She reminded him bluntly.

"No, Hermione..." he said quietly. "It's just beginning." He looked at her, and she felt exposed. Like he could see every thought, feel every emotion - like he _knew_. She didn't break the gaze, though she wanted to. She _wanted_ him to feel lost and helpless, to understand that she'd left her friends - the only real friends she'd ever had - in the middle of a battle for their lives, in the middle of a war to save the world from self-destruction. She wanted him to _know._

After a few long moments, a realization hit her. He did know. After a shaky breath, she began to feel the tears stream down her cheeks. He closed his other arm around her and held her close. She leaned into his shoulder and held onto him for what felt like forever. Who knows? Maybe it was.

"It's not fair." She stated angrily.

"Yes, it is." He replied, so softly she almost missed it.

"How can you say that?" She spat, wiping at her tears.

"It is...what it is." He replied. "How it was supposed to be."

"That doesn't make it _fair_."

"Sure it does," he said with a smile she could feel, right down to her bones. He stroked her back and she began to breathe more steadily. "It takes awhile to see it." He said slowly. "But everything works out."

"You were...it wasn't your fault!" She cried, looking up at him.

"I know that." He said calmly. "And it wasn't yours, either. Or Harry's. No one could have known what was going to happen." He continued to rub her arm comfortingly and she rested her head on his shoulder. "Someone has to be here when Harry and Ron get here." He said neutrally. And then it dawned on her. She stared out at the lake, trying still to figure it out.

"But...that's not _all_ I'm good for..." She said slowly.

"No, of course not," Cedric said with an encouraging pat. "But it is something you'd like to be a part of." He looked at her knowingly. She looked up at him and suddenly it all fell into place. And she knew.

"I wish I'd gotten to know you better," She said with a small smile. He grinned.

"You're not so bad yourself." Hermione giggled at that. She took a deep breath and rested her head on his shoulder. She felt his head rest slightly on hers and she closed her eyes.

"I'm glad you were here." She said softly. "I'm not sure I would've believed it otherwise."

"You would've come around eventually." He repled. Hermione rolled her eyes and smiled. She probably would have, but seeing Cedric again...made her a little more hopeful about everything. He died such terrifying and horrific death, and yet here he was, laughing and joking with her.

"But...why...why was it you?" She asked, honestly curious. "Why not someone else?" She felt him pick up his head and sigh.

"I think this was just how it's supposed to be. How it...was meant to be." He said slowly, as if choosing out each and every word.

"Meant to be..." Hermione repeated softly. She looked up at him and tried to take in everything he'd shown her, everything he'd helped her to see. As if reading her emotions, Cedric's hand came up and cupped her cheek.

"I have to leave soon." He said quietly.

"I thought you might," she repled, not looking away. She smiled boldly at him and he grinned back at her. He leaned over to her and she turned. She closed her eyes to feel the lightest kiss placed on her cheek, no more than a brush of his lips on her skin. His kiss was as light as the breeze. She kept her eyes closed for a moment, knowing what she would find when she opened them, and she tried to revel in the feeling.

When she did open her eyes, Cedric was gone. All she saw was the landscape around her. She couldn't help but grin. He'd helped her more than he could have realized. As she streched her legs out in front of her, she grabbed a handful of pebbles. And she waited.


End file.
